


A Promise to a Merman

by DovaBunny



Series: Fenders Ficlets [3]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Fenders, Fenders Friday, Ficlet, M/M, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DovaBunny/pseuds/DovaBunny
Summary: Anders is a teenage swimaway (runaway?) who has just made peace with his solitary existence when he spots a handsome land-dweller with hard hair, moss green eyes, and pointed ears.A Fenders Friday ficlet.





	A Promise to a Merman

 

Anders was just shy of eleven winters when he swam away from his family. He had been born different to his brothers and sisters, with healing magical abilities instead of destructive. His father was ashamed of him, his family ostracised. He knew that his leaving was the only way to save them the shame. So he set off on his own.

Three months, four narrow escapes with sharks, and seven jellyfish stings later, he finally found it - the perfect spot to make his own. It had a hidden entrance just under water near a shore that opened up into a beautiful little cave with an opening above where he could watch the stars or bask in the sun on his little private beach.

He knew he was safe here, mer-people never came this close to shore in fear of the land-dwellers, and the tough rocky terrain kept boats and sharks away in the deeper waters.

The first time he laid eyes on a land-dweller, the two legged being had been on the rocks near his home collecting mussels. He sneaked as close as he dared and hid behind a jagged rock to watch. Curiosity won him over, it had always been a weakness of his. Webbed fingers griped the edge of the rock so he could peep over. Big honey-brown eyes narrowed and an eyebrow quirked at the odd sight.

A young land-dweller, not full grown. He had dark hair, pointed ears, and wore ragged clothing. He was kneeling on the platform, a bucket next to him, but was frantically looking into the water as if searching for something he lost.

He could barely make out what the boy was muttering to himself.

“I could sworn… Flash of green and gold.”

Anders looked down guiltily at his own tail, scales of golden hues and green fins.

“What was that…” the boy then snapped out of it and shook his head. “Seeing things.”

He quickly picked up his bucket and flopped off the deck into the shallow waters to continue his mussel hunt.

Anders watched as the boy worked. He had a grumpy expression but something about him was...pleasing to look at. Anders smiled and settled, content with watching from his little hiding spot.

It was over too quickly. The boy with the dark hair and pointed ears seemed content with his collection and climbed back on the platform. A small sound of protest left Anders’ throat before he could curb it. He slapped a hand over his mouth, mortified and scared, but the boy only gave a curious glance around him, then left.

Anders had a strange smile on his face for the rest of the day.

 

The second time Anders saw the land-dweller, the boy was again collecting mussels. He had left his bucket on the platform as he searched, dropping them.

Anders looked down at his pouch filled with mussels. He could always get more... Quite easily actually, but the task seemed to be more taxing for the boy who had to struggle to loosen them off the jagged rocks. He didn’t have the right tools.

Anders waited until the boy was distracted on a particularly difficult cluster, then he quickly swam up to the platform pushing himself out the water with the momentum of his speed and turned his pouch over into the bucket.

He didn’t dare look back immediately, dashing into the water till safely behind his hiding spot.

The boy must’ve heard the splash of his tail because he had turned around and was quickly moving over to his bucket with a scowl.

“Damn seals stealing my mus-” He froze when he peeked into the full bucket. His jaw dropped a little and the crease on his nose faded.

Anders smiled at his success, a little giddy giggle escaping him.

Which is what made the boy lift his head and look in his direction.

For a moment their eyes met - eyes big and green like his fins, like the fresh seaweed he likes so much - then reality kicked in. Anders yelped ducked into the water, swimming down deep and as fast as his fail could push him back to his home.

He barely heard the boy call out above the water: “Thank you!”

 

Anders stayed away for a whole week after that. He tried to convince himself not to go there again. In the end, he knew trying to stay away was futile. He wanted to see the boy with the beautiful eyes and pointed ears again.

Anders was watching from his spot as the boy sat with a fishing rod. The longer he sat, the more he scowled. Nothing seemed to be biting. Anders got an idea.

He quickly dove back into the waters, searching the nooks he knew the biggest and tastiest fish stayed in. It took him only a few moments before he caught a big one. It wouldn’t stop wriggling, and being as long as his forearm, that was a problem. Anders pulled out his trusty knife and made quick work of gutting the fish before swimming back.

The boy was still sitting on the same spot, grumbling at the waters while his feet kicked under the platform in irritation.

As quiet as he could, Anders swam up along the rocks and under the platform. He carefully put the fish down behind the boy, then slowly reached webbed fingers out to nudge at the boy’s hip.

The boy startled and spun around at once, causing Anders to squeak and dash back into the waters, curling in on himself at the bottom of the rocky surface just below the platform.

“Wait!” he heard a voice cry out, just as he was about to make his escape. He paused and looked up. He could see through the water the boy was on his belly looking down the platform towards where he was. Big green eyes were wide, and his dark hair swayed gently in the wind.

They both stayed like that, both just staring at the other. Slowly, a hand appeared and reached down, hovering just above the water.

Anders regarded the hand, fingers curious and cautious - an offer of trust. He uncurled and let his tail stretch out. In careful movements, ready to bolt at any moment, he slowly swam upwards and reached out. Webbed fingers breached the water and touched non-webbed olive-skinned ones.

At the moment of touch, Anders felt tingle run down his spine. He saw a similar reaction in the boy whose shoulders jumped with a little gasp, but his expression soon turned into a smile.

“Hello,” the boy said softly. His face was full of awe and wonder. Anders looked at their brushing fingers, and pushed himself up a little more so his head and shoulders were above water. Just as careful as before, the threaded their fingers together, wanting to return the boy’s offer of trust.

“What are you?” the boy asked.

Anders could understand the boy’s tongue, but his own had difficulty forming the words. In answer he looked down at his tail, swished it side to side, then looked back up.

“You’re- you’re a merman?”

Anders nodded and smiled. From this close he could see the boy was not as young as he thought, despite his small stature he seemed a teenager - perhaps closer to 16 or 17.

Anders used their entwined fingers to pull himself up more and with his free hand gently tapped the boy on his chest, a question in his eyes.

“Me?” Anders nodded. “I am an elf. My name is Leto.”

Leto. Anders carefully considered it, and decided he liked it. “ _Lee-toh,_ ” he said softly.

“Yes!” the boy beamed a smile at him and Anders felt the heat spread across his ears to his cheeks. “Who are you?”

Anders thought for a moment on how to form the sounds. “Aan-der-ss.”

“An-ders?” The mer nodded eagerly. “Anders! I like it. It is pretty… like you.” Leto added with a smirk. Anders blushed intensely and ducked into the water a bit more, lifting his tail to hide his heated face behind his tail fin.

He heard a soft chuckle above him. “Don’t be embarrassed!”

Anders decided he also liked Leto’s deep voice, especially when he laughed.

“You’re the one who brought me the mussels too, aren’t you?” Anders peeked out behind his tail and nodded shyly. “Thank you. There was more than enough and mother could sell some. She used the money to buy more fabric to make clothes.”

Anders looked up curious, letting go of his tail.

“She is a seamstress,” Leto explained. “She makes clothes and sells them. If she sells enough there is money left over and we can buy food and other things we need. It is hard though, people don’t pay fair prices to an elf who has to make use of cheap material to make clothes. If only I could buy her some nice silks and fine fabric.”

Anders watched as the kind, friendly expression on Leto’s face turned sad. No, no he didn’t like that.

Anders narrowed his lips and thought for a moment.

“Anders help,” he said with determination.

“What?”

Anders let go of Leto’s hand. He gestured to the sun, then pointed it’s track down to where it went down, then pointed in the opposite direction and followed it back to noon where it sat high above them. “Anders help.”

With that he spun around and swam back into the deep waters. He had some hunting to do.

 

Leto seemed to have understood the mer, because around noon the next day he appeared on the deck again. Anders swam up to him, and with a proud smile handed him a pouch.

Leto quirked one dark eyebrow, sat down and took it.

He gasped once he looked inside. “Pearls?”

Anders nodded. “Anders help Leto.”

Leto looked up, his face in awe and confusion. “But… why?”

Anders suddenly felt very shy. He lifted his tail fin to hide the heat rising in his cheeks.

“Be-because,” he spoke slowly, “Anders th-inks Leto is pret-ty too.” Anders closed his eyes tight and ducked his head, feeling very foolish for his little crush being the reason he spent the entire afternoon hunting for pearls. Not that it was particularly hard for him.

Anders startled when two hands gently touched his, pulling his fin down. Het looked up to see big green eyes regarding him with wonder and ...something he couldn’t understand.

“Thank you Anders, you have no idea how much this means.”

“...Leto visit Anders?” Anders asked cautiously.

“Leto visit Anders.” Leto smiled. “I promise.”


End file.
